Walking Through Difficult Situations

What happens when life doesn’t look anything like we thought it would because of divorce, sickness, loss of job, being passed over, relationship issues, being left out, bullied, people coming against us, feeling like God is not hearing us, our prayers going unanswered, being falsely accused, being rejected, abandoned, etc. 

Sometimes we can feel like we are being tested and put through the fire, but we have no idea why. Being in the fire can be very difficult and we can often find ourselves feeling isolated, overwhelmed, and frustrated. Unchecked frustration leads to anger, anger leads to bitterness, bitterness leads to resentment, resentment leads to walls between our heart and God.

I will be discussing some tips on making it through the difficult times and stepping into victory. We will be looking at several familiar stories from the Bible and talking about how we can apply the principles to our lives.

David and Goliath:  1 Samuel 17

Saul and his men were facing a battle with the Philistines. Everyday Goliath, who was a giant, would go out and yell at Saul and his men taunting them. He did this for 40 days.

How often does our situation taunt us? It is right in our face, and we cannot ignore it if we try. It calls out to us day and night to remind us it is not going anywhere. It can seem so huge and impossible to beat. It mocks us and says here I am and there is nothing you can do about it.

David did not go to the battle, his older brothers did, but he was the youngest and stayed back to tend his fathers’ sheep. He was a shepherd for his father’s animals. Jesse, David’s dad sent him to the battle lines to check on his older brothers and to bring back word of how they were doing. David readily obeyed his father and went to the battle lines. 

While David was checking on his brothers Goliath came down front and center to yell at Saul’s army. The men ran in fear because of the size of Goliath and the words he was saying.

David asked” Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he has taunted and defied the armies of the living God?” David wanted to know the identity of Goliath and he called him out for exactly what he was: the one who was defying the armies of the living God.

Sometimes we must really get to the root of the issue and call it out for exactly what it is. It can be so big and daunting that we cannot even recognize the root cause. We can let fear take over and distract us from the root issue, but we must push the fear aside and get to the root cause. We must recognize it and call it for what it is. All the yelling could have distracted David, but he was able to ignore the noise and see Goliath for exactly who and what he was.

Saul told David that Goliath was way too big and too strong for him to fight. Saul did not believe in David at all and only saw him as a young small guy.

We must make sure we are surrounding ourselves with people who will support us and pray for us when we are in battles, and not point out how strong or bad the battle looks. When we are in deep battles, we need someone to remind us how big our God is and not how big our battles are. We need people who will hold us up in intercession and not hold a pity party for us. We need ones who will draw us closer to God and not further from Him.

David told Saul about the times he killed a lion and a bear that were trying to take his father’s sheep. He said Goliath would be the same as the bear and lion. He said the Lord who rescued him from the paw of the lion and the from the paw of the bear, would also rescue him from the hand of the Philistine.

We must remember the things God has brought us through. When we are facing major battles, we need to look back on our lives and let our faith build by all the victories God has already given us. David did not see the size of the giant because he had his eyes on the size of his God. Goliath’s size did not make David doubt for a moment that he would be successful in defeating him. He knew God was with him and that was all he needed.

Saul dressed David in his own armor, but it did not fit, and David said he could not wear it because he was not used to it and because it did not fit him.

We must walk in the calling and anointing God gave us. If we try to wear the giftings, anointing, and call of others they will never fit us properly. God has put in our life what we need for battles and for walking in our kingdom purpose. He created us to be exactly who we are, and we must stop trying to be someone else. We must embrace our identity in Him and walk in what He has given us.

David picked up his shepherd’s bag and put five smooth stones in it. Together with the five stones, in his pouch, and his sling he went to face the giant.  

God already provided him with the tools he needed: the pouch to hold the stones and the sling. God had prepared him while he was working as a shepherd. It was his training ground, and he did not even know it. God has us on a training ground, and we often do not even know it. He has already prepared us to fight the battle we are in the middle of right now and once we are victorious in this one, it will be used to prepare us to defeat the next one.

When Goliath saw David, he laughed and jeered at him because of his size and age. He even made fun of his weapon. He did not take him seriously and did not see him as any kind of threat.  

Our battles (enemy) may laugh at us and not even take us seriously. Fear may try to set in and convince us we are not strong enough or big enough to win the battle.

David told Goliath that he came in the name of the Lord, and he told him that on that day the Lord was going to hand him over to David. David said he was going to cut his head off so everyone would know there is a God in Israel. He also said everyone would know that the Lord did not save with the sword or spear, for the battle is the Lord’s and He will hand Goliath over to them.

David knew and stood firmly on his faith that God was going to save him. There was no fear because he knew who his God was, and he knew that He would not leave him alone. He knew the victory was not dependent on his own power or ability, but the outcome rested fully on God.

David quickly ran towards Goliath, took out a stone and struck him in the middle of the head. He ran over to Goliath and used his sword to cut off his head. The men of Judah and Israel won the victory when David killed Goliath.  

David did not wait for the battle to come to him, he ran to it because he knew God was going to deliver him. Sometimes we must take the battle head on and run towards it because we know the fight is based on God and not us. We do not always have to be on the defensive, we can run into battle offensively. 

Woman with Sickness for 12 years Mark 5:25-34

She had been sick for 12 years and had suffered greatly at the hand of many physicians. She spent all of her money, and they had not helped her at all and instead she became worse.

How many of us have been here? We get a diagnosis from the doctor with little help getting better. We go to all kinds of doctors and try all kinds of treatments but instead of getting better we get worse. We can become so focused on seeking our cure that we have little room to think of anything else. We run from this doctor to that doctor and yet we are still sick. We spend all our money seeking a cure, but no cure is to be found.

She heard reports about Jesus and went where He was. It was crowed, but she pressed in because she knew if she could just touch the hem of His garment, she would get well. She pushed through the crowd to touch Him. She touched the hem of His garment, and she was immediately made well. Jesus stopped and asked who touched Him. She was afraid but she came forward and answered Him. He told her that her faith had made her well.  

We must get to a place of faith that we know if we just press through to touch Him, we will be made well. We must put everything else aside and go after Him. We cannot focus on the cares of the world, and we cannot only focus on our sickness. We must push all of that aside and go after Him at all costs. We cannot care what others think about us or how much they try to push us out of the way. We must have a desperation that says, “I have to touch the hem of His garment and when I do, I will get breakthrough.”

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: Daniel 3  

King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold-plated statue of himself and required everyone to bow down and worship it. Anyone who refused was to be thrown into a blazing hot furnace. There were Chaldeans who did not like the Jewish people, and they told the king about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (three Hebrew men) who only prayed to God and only worshiped God.

They stood out because they were faithful to God. They were known to be followers of God and to only pray to God. Do people know we are followers of God? Do they look at our lives and know who we follow and serve?

The king sent for the three men and gave them a chance to bow down and worship the statue. They replied by saying God can rescue them from the hand of the king, but if He didn’t, they would still not worship the golden image.

In the face of possible death, they said they would not bow to the image and worship it. They faced death and would not bow, but at times we bow when we are faced with social ridicule. We don’t want to stand out, to be different. We laugh at that joke, so we do not feel left out. We are asked about what we think about certain hot topics, but we hold back because we don’t want to be called judgy or unloving. We walk away from our Biblical morals one at a time so we can fit in and be liked by others. Would we be able to stand for what we believe in the face of possible death?

The king became furious and ordered for the furnace to be heated to seven times hotter than its normal temperature. He then ordered the men to be thrown into the fire. It was so hot it killed the men who were throwing them into it.  

The three were doing everything right. They were following God and being obedient to Him, but they were still thrown into the fire.

The King looked into the fire and was astounded because he saw a fourth man in the fire with the three. The king ordered for them to be removed from the fire, and they did not even smell like the fire. Their hair or clothes was not even scorched. The king recognized the God of the three and wrote a decree that anyone who speaks against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would be cut into pieces. He then caused the three to prosper.  

God could have stopped it at any moment, but He allowed them to be thrown in. Sometimes we must walk through the fire, but we never walk through it alone. While we are in the fire, we can guarantee others are watching our reaction and we can draw them to God or push them away with how we handle the fire. We can point to His goodness and mercy, or we can pout, complain, and get bitter.

Paul and Silas: Acts 16:16-40

Paul and Silas were headed to the place of prayer, and they ran into a girl that had a spirit of divination. She was a slave, and she made a lot of money for her owners. She followed after Paul and was yelling about them being the servants of the Most High God. She continued doing this for several days. It was happening so much that it was annoying and wearing Paul out so much so that he cast the demons out of her. Her owners became angry because she could not make them money anymore. They arrested Paul and Silas and falsely accused them of causing trouble. They were beaten with rods and threw into prison. They were thrown into the inner prison which was a very secure dungeon. Their feet were fastened in stocks in an agonizing position. The jailer was given specific instructions to watch them closely.

Paul and Silas were doing the work of the Lord. They had dedicated their lives to traveling and preaching the gospel. Right in the middle of doing the work of the Lord they were arrested, falsely accused, beat, and shackled to the point of extreme pain. Paul and Silas had to choose how they were going to handle the situation. I don’t know about you, but I could have gotten mad, angry, and bitter quick in this situation.

Paul and Silas were praying and singing praise songs, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Not only did they not get bitter or angry instead they praised the Lord and were praying. They were in the middle of a dungeon in extreme pain and yet they were praising the Lord. They were not complaining, grumbling, asking why us, and they were not shaking their fist in anger at God. They were praising Him for His goodness.

Around midnight there was a big earthquake, so powerful that the very foundations of the prison were shaken, and all the doors were opened, and all of the chains feel off. When the jailer was shaken out of sleep and saw the prison doors open, he thought they had escaped so he took out his sword to kill himself. Paul called out to him to let him know they were still there. He brought them out of the inner prison and asked Paul what he must do to be saved. Paul preached to him and he and his whole house was saved. The jailer washed their wounds and then was baptized, he and all his household. He then fed them and rejoiced with them.

This entire household was saved because Paul and Silas chose to worship the Lord right in the middle of a literal prison. In the middle of torment, they thanked God for His goodness, and He set them free and saved the soul of the prison guard and his family.

Practical Tips for When You are Walking Through the Fire

Learn. Use it for a teaching moment and ask God what you can learn. There is always a lesson in everything we go through. We just must look for it. Allow God to use it to refine you.

Praise and Worship. Even on the hardest days, don’t stop praising Him.

Fast.  

Patience in the Waiting: Not that you wait, but HOW you wait. A 2-year-old will wait for cookies to bake because they have to, but they also may throw a fit in the waiting.

Spiritual Warfare: Put on the full armor of God daily, James 4:7 Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee. Verbally confront the enemy with the name of Jesus.

Prepare. Ask God what this situation is preparing you for. What tools can you gain as you walk through the fire?

Prayer. Resist shutting God out. Talk to Him.  

Teaching. What can you share with others that you are learning. Use it as part of your testimony and learning experience.

Do. Ask God specifically what He wants you to do and do no more and no less, don’t get stuck and don’t get stagnant.

Seek. Above all else seek God first. Shut out all the noise and distractions and spend time with Him.  

Submit. Measure your level of submission and make sure there is nothing you are holding back and refusing to submit to Him.

Grow. Use the situation as a chance to grow. Grow your faith, trust, character, relationship with God, and any other area that needs to grow.

Humility. Remove all pride and reach out for help if you need it.

Walk in His Truth. Found in His Word, read the Bible.

Fruit of the Spirit. Choose to walk in the fruit of the Spirit no matter how difficult life gets. Galatians 5: 22-23 love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  

Address all areas of needed healing.  

Rest in Him.  

Forgive anyone who has wronged you, including yourself.

Break all lies you have come into agreement with. Recognize them, ask God to show you any that you do not recognize, once you recognize them repent for believing lies, ask God to break the power of the lie, ask Him to uproot the lie and anything attached to it, verbally break agreement with the lie, and then verbally command any demons attached to the lie to leave in the name of Jesus.

Perspective. View God though the lens of His Word and not situation.

Build a Godly Support System. Surround yourself with people of prayer. Ask for prayer and have them pray over you.

Blessings,

Nichole Henson

Fullness of Joy Ministry

Fullnessofjoyministry@gmail.com